Ibrani 2:1-4

Warning Against Drifting Away

2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2:2 For if the message spoken through angels ¹  proved to be so firm that every violation ²  or disobedience received its just penalty, 2:3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 2:4 while God confirmed their witness ³  with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed ⁴  according to his will.

Ibrani 3:7-19

Exposition of Psalm 95: Hearing God’s Word in Faith

3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ⁵ 

“Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! ⁶ 

3:8 “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.

3:9 “There your fathers tested me and tried me, ⁷  and they saw my works for forty years.

3:10 “Therefore, I became provoked at that generation and said, ‘Their hearts are always wandering ⁸  and they have not known my ways.’

3:11 “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’” ⁹ 

3:12 See to it, ¹⁰  brothers and sisters, ¹¹  that none of you has ¹²  an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes ¹³  the living God. ¹⁴  3:13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception. 3:14 For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence ¹⁵  firm until the end. 3:15 As it says, ¹⁶  “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! ¹⁷  Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” ¹⁸  3:16 For which ones heard and rebelled? Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership? ¹⁹  3:17 And against whom was God ²⁰  provoked for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? ²¹  3:18 And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient? 3:19 So ²²  we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.

Ibrani 6:4-12

6:4 For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 6:5 tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, 6:6 and then have committed apostasy, ²³  to renew them again to repentance, since ²⁴  they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again ²⁵  and holding him up to contempt. 6:7 For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on ²⁶  it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. 6:8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; ²⁷  its fate is to be burned. 6:9 But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 6:11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, ²⁸  but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

Ibrani 10:26-31

10:26 For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us, ²⁹  10:27 but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury ³⁰  of fire that will consume God’s enemies. ³¹  10:28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death ³²  without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ³³  10:29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for ³⁴  the Son of God, and profanes ³⁵  the blood of the covenant that made him holy, ³⁶  and insults the Spirit of grace? 10:30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” ³⁷  and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ³⁸  10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Ibrani 12:15-17

12:15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up ³⁹  and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled. 12:16 And see to it that no one becomes ⁴⁰  an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ⁴¹  12:17 For you know that ⁴²  later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing ⁴³  with tears.

[2:2]  ¹ sn The message spoken through angels refers to the OT law, which according to Jewish tradition was mediated to Moses through angels (cf. Deut 33:2; Ps 68:17-18; Acts 7:38, 53; Gal 3:19; and Jub. 1:27, 29; Josephus, Ant. 15.5.3 [15.136]).

[2:2]  ² tn Grk “through angels became valid and every violation.”

[2:4]  ³ tn Grk “God bearing witness together” (the phrase “with them” is implied).

[2:4]  ⁴ tn Grk “and distributions of the Holy Spirit.”

[3:7]  ⁵ sn The following quotation is from Ps 95:7b-11.

[3:7]  ⁶ tn Grk “today if you hear his voice.”

[3:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “tested me by trial.”

[3:10]  ⁸ tn Grk “they are wandering in the heart.”

[3:11]  ⁹ tn Grk “if they shall enter my rest,” a Hebrew idiom expressing an oath that something will certainly not happen.

[3:12]  ¹⁰ tn Or “take care.”

[3:12]  ¹¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[3:12]  ¹² tn Grk “that there not be in any of you.”

[3:12]  ¹³ tn Or “deserts,” “rebels against.”

[3:12]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “in forsaking the living God.”

[3:14]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “the beginning of the confidence.”

[3:15]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “while it is said.”

[3:15]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “today if you hear his voice.”

[3:15]  ¹⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 95:7b-8.

[3:16]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “through Moses.”

[3:17]  ²⁰ tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (God) has been specified for clarity.

[3:17]  ²¹ sn An allusion to God’s judgment pronounced in Num 14:29, 32.

[3:19]  ²² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate a summary or conclusion to the argument of the preceding paragraph.

[6:6]  ²³ tn Or “have fallen away.”

[6:6]  ²⁴ tn Or “while”; Grk “crucifying…and holding.” The Greek participles here (“crucifying…and holding”) can be understood as either causal (“since”) or temporal (“while”).

[6:6]  ²⁵ tn Grk “recrucifying the son of God for themselves.”

[6:7]  ²⁶ tn Grk “comes upon.”

[6:8]  ²⁷ tn Grk “near to a curse.”

[6:12]  ²⁸ tn Or “dull.”

[10:26]  ²⁹ tn Grk “is left,” with “for us” implied by the first half of the verse.

[10:27]  ³⁰ tn Grk “zeal,” recalling God’s jealous protection of his holiness and honor (cf. Exod 20:5).

[10:27]  sn An allusion to Zeph 1:18.

[10:27]  ³¹ tn Grk “the enemies.”

[10:27]  sn An allusion to Isa 26:11.

[10:28]  ³² tn Grk “dies.”

[10:28]  ³³ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

[10:29]  ³⁴ tn Grk “tramples under foot.”

[10:29]  ³⁵ tn Grk “regarded as common.”

[10:29]  ³⁶ tn Grk “by which he was made holy.”

[10:30]  ³⁷ sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.

[10:30]  ³⁸ sn A quotation from Deut 32:36.

[12:15]  ³⁹ tn Grk “that there not be any root of bitterness,” but referring figuratively to a person who causes trouble (as in Deut 29:17 [LXX] from which this is quoted).

[12:15]  sn An allusion to Deut 29:18.

[12:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “that there not be any,” continuing from v. 15.

[12:16]  ⁴¹ sn An allusion to Gen 27:34-41.

[12:17]  ⁴² tn Or a command: “for understand that.”

[12:17]  ⁴³ tn Grk “it,” referring either to the repentance or the blessing. But the account in Gen 27:34-41 (which the author appeals to here) makes it clear that the blessing is what Esau sought. Thus in the translation the referent (the blessing) is specified for clarity.